So this week has been a struggle getting Mason to take naps. He fights sleep like the plague. Every day I have had to "lay" by him, which in reality doesn't consist of much laying, for AT LEAST 2 hours before he will go to sleep. He screams and cries and wrestles and kicks the whole time because he is so tired and grumpy. As much as I enjoy this little battle, I really don't have time to go through it every day. Carter needs to be fed every five minutes, I'm getting ready to start preschool next week, I have to keep house, etc. etc. etc. So today I fought with him for about an hour, and then had an idea. I set the alarm clock for an hour and a half, (That's usually how long he sleeps.) and told him he didn't have to go to sleep, but he had to lay on his bed until it beeped. The plan was, he would get bored and fall asleep on his own. About every ten minutes he would come out for something. "I'm hot and sweaty." (Which means he wants a drink.) "I'm not tired." "It already beeped Mom." "I want a treat." "I'm hungry." "I want you to lay by me." "I want Carter to lay by me." He came in once more about ten minutes before the clock was going to go off and I told him it was almost time, he just had to sit on his bed for a few more minutes. I snuck back as the alarm was about to go off to see what he was going to do when it finally beeped, and he was asleep! Go figure. I wish he would just do that to start out with! So, by the time he wakes up, the whole ordeal will have lasted about 5 hours. Maybe if we play this game every day for a while he will figure it out. Otherwise, he will just be in his room for 4 or 5 hours every day! I hope not though. I was planning to go run errands after his nap, but I don' t think that will happen today. I sure do love that boy, but he is a handful right now, bless his heart. :)
He looks so innocent sleeping on his bed. . . .
If only that were the case. . . . .
He looks so innocent sleeping on his bed. . . .
If only that were the case. . . . .
6 comments:
Good luck! I totally understand how you feel, I've been through the same stuff! For a long time I just put Gary in the room for a couple hours whether he slept or not... we ended up calling it "quiet time"... sometimes he napped sometimes he didn't. I think it was a lot the same with Liv too, cause she wanted to be where ever the baby was. Again, good luck!
Oh my word....I'm doing the same thing with Abby. Remember awhile ago we met you at the Pasta Factory and Abby was out cold, then we came to your house more recently...again out cold. Well some days I think, maybe she fights it so much because she really doesn't need a nap. So I let her just have "quiet time". It usually goes well the first day, then the second day she falls asleep or loses it around 6:00. Anyway, I know your pain! I may try the alarm clock thing though. It sounds like an excellent idea as long as I can get her to stay in her room and not bug me. That's all I really want is a little time to accompish something during my day. Good luck with all you have going on...let us know if we can help!
Oh Jenny... my life exactly right now! I need to try that little trick. Do you think I could do it at bedtime too... "You don't have to go to sleep, but you can't come out for 8 hours...." haha...
the same thing happened with larkin a few months ago! now we have to call it rest time, and that's do sweet that he wanted his baby to lay by him.
I have been very lucky with Kannon. He is like clockwork... around naptime and bedtime, he comes and says "I go Ni-Ni"... But I will keep that in mind when he gets to the age when naps are interfering with his playtime. Good Luck Jen!
I'm having the same sort of problem with Emma, although not quite as bad. She will fall asleep sometimes, but other times she just talks and plays, so at least she's not crying. But she can't be done taking naps because boy you can tell later if she didn't sleep! Let me know what works for you!
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